Firstborn of the Frontier

It all played out in front of Sarah Jay’s eyes, like one of them illusion shows on stage, so close to the action yet far removed from it all the same.

She wasn’t an actor or a participant, merely the audience, a spectator to events unfolding around her, one without any agency of her own. That’s how she felt, seated atop her horse with Bolts flying about, all her hard work and training forgotten as she froze in place. It was exactly the same as what Mama did all those years ago during the harpy attack which killed Daddy, and Sarah Jay finally understood. Oh, if only she could go back and unsay all those hurtful things, but she’d do the next best thing. Soon as she was back in Riverrun, Sarah Jay would find her mama and hug her tight, because now she knew what it was like.

Even after the shooting stopped, Sarah Jay sat there like a fool, her fingers gripping the Ranger Repeater so hard it was a wonder the wooden stock didn’t crack. The fact that she hadn’t been shot was a miracle, and the same could be said of Errol. Howie handled all the fighting, even easier than cleaning up the harpies. Showed how he’d mostly been playing around with Richard and his goons back in New Hope, as this was how he handled business. Popped two outlaws standing in the open with the Rattlesnake, then picked off three more with the 3-Line. One who’d come riding in on the left, then two hanging back in the trees to the right. Five shots, five kills. One more to both numbers if you included poor Bruno. Clean and quick, except it should never have gotten so far, because Howie saw right through the scheme and called them out before the first two outlaws could draw close, which should have been the end of it all right there.

That’s the Firstborn for you. Took the measure of those outlaws and told them to turn back, and they would’ve too if Errol had kept his lips buttoned up. Might’ve scared off the other three as well, but then Howie took his eyes off the prize to tell Errol to get to cover, which gave the remaining three outlaws courage enough to attack. Howie was right, but he didn’t have to say it that way, browbeating Errol out over those corpses like that. Sarah Jay was furious with both men, but even more, she was furious at herself for freezing up, still unable to force herself to let go of the carbine even after Howie came back out of the woods with two bodies on Cowie’s back, and only stopping to grab the third.

No less furious for it though, his brows still furrowed and gaze dark. Least she knew why Howie was so relaxed most of the time, because he could go from 0 to 60 in no time flat. The second Errol opened fire and took down the elk, Howie was up on his feet with Aetherarms in hand, telling them to go weapons ready. At first, Sarah Jay had been amused thinking the Firstborn had fallen asleep at the reins and Errol’s shot had startled him awake, but then the two strangers had come riding out and the pieces all started falling into place. Not that knowing had helped any. Though she managed to draw the carbine thanks to Howie’s warning, Sarah Jay hadn’t fired off a single shot. Wasn’t lack of time what did it, as she’d spotted one shooter in the trees while Errol was still trying to play peacemaker and share the spoils with the outlaws who meant to kill them. A kind hearted man he was, but a fool sometimes too, unable to see what was happening right before his very eyes.

Didn’t mean Howie was right to throw it in Errol’s face like that, but wasn’t like anything he said was wrong either.

Sarah Jay kept all of this to herself, because she couldn’t bring herself to say a single thing. Could barely keep it together when Howie stopped by to check on her after making sure there were no more threats hiding in the trees. Had to all but pull her off of Fifi too, then looked her over for injuries, before treating his own mind you. He’d been shot in the flank, a graze that bled something awful, but he didn’t even ask her for help patching himself up. Disinfected it himself while sitting in the driver’s seat, then slapped a bandage overtop while chattering away with someone over the radio before putting his bloody shirt back on to cover his thin, muscular frame. Wasn’t like him to be a slob like that, but Sarah Jay saw why soon enough, as he set to hauling the dead outlaws up onto the roof where he stacked them like cordwood and secured them with rope.

“Why don’t you go check on Errol?” Howie said, once he was finished with the outlaws and looked ready to start on the elk, and only then did it occur to Sarah Jay to see what became of her man. Wasn’t because she was angry, but because she’d been waiting for Howie to dole out her lumps and point out all her failings. Was halfway across the road before she realized he hadn’t said word one about her freezing up, meaning he was treating her with kid’s gloves just because she was a woman. Now that was a kick to the gut, in more ways than one, and she wasn’t sure if she ought to be grateful or furious. Was wrong of Howie to drag poor Errol around and throw his mistakes in his face like that, but Sarah Jay would rather suffer through the same than have him overlook her part in this mess. If she’d laid down some covering fire, then those shooters in the woods wouldn’t have had time to leisurely line up their shots and hit him in the flank. Wasn’t a difficult shot, less than a hundred meters, and she could’ve moved back along the Highway to flank even. A great idea which came far too late, as she’d been too much of a coward to even remember to chamber a round into the carbine, much less point and shoot it.

Wasn’t fair to give her a pass just because she was a woman. How was she supposed to improve if he was gonna act like she could do no wrong?

Coming up behind Errol, who was kneeling next to the first two outlaws, she gently touched his trembling shoulder to let him know she was there. He didn’t react, so she knelt down and wrapped her arms around him. Still nothing, so she held him close and waited while doing everything she could not to look directly at the corpses, unlike Errol who seemed unable to tear his eyes away. “Hun,” she said, and had to repeat herself a few times before he responded. “How about we go stand in the shade?” Away from the blood and bodies, as Cowie was already waiting nearby to haul these last two away. Honest to goodness, the sweet bull all but rolled his eyes as they passed and gave a rumbling grunt before shaking his head with a snort. Once again, Sarah Jay marvelled at how smart the beast was. Or maybe he wasn’t, and his anger was merely a mirror of Howie’s, though if Sarah Jay were to put money on it, she’d lay it on the first.

Thankfully, Errol didn’t notice, as he had enough on his plate to deal with without having to worry about winning the respect of a giant, Transmutating bull. Instead, he quietly followed her over to the side of the road, away from the wagon and Howie to give them some time apart. Sarah Jay made sure to stop somewhere they could be seen, but not in line of sight of the corpses on the street. Didn’t help none, as Errol kept staring off into nothing while she held him close, his body trembling up a storm just like it had after the harpy fight, except this time there was no Howie to talk him down. Once the Firstborn was done hauling and stacking the last two bodies, he dressed the elk and strung its carcass up on a hook, one which swung out from the side of his wagon so the blood could drain without staining the highway. Then he headed over to poor Bruno’s corpse, but he didn’t get to work right away. Instead, he knelt over the poor beast for a full minute before giving it a feeble little pat on the neck, reminding Sarah Jay of his abrupt warning back in New Hope.

“Don’t get too attached,” Howie had said, the moment he finished paying the stablemaster. It seemed so out of place at the time, a sudden switch from his happy go-lucky self to issue what felt like a warning to put them in place before moving on to talk about calves and wagons. This was what he really meant though, because he saw this coming from a mile away. Or the possibility, at least, and now he was sad because he failed to take his own advice. No wonder he’d looked so sour when they told him the horses names. Sarah Jay thought he’d wanted to name them himself, but didn’t mention it because she didn’t want to ride a beast with a silly and childish name like Horsie or Brownie.

“How did he know?” Errol asked, shaking Sarah Jay out of her thoughts. “How could he have known they meant to shoot us? For all he knew, he was shooting two poor, starving men.”

Oh, her sweet, fool of a man. He wasn’t dumb, just in denial, else he’d have figured it out for himself. He didn’t want to though, because that meant admitting that he was wrong, so wrong that it’d almost gotten them all killed.

Some women would’ve stood by their man and supported him to the end, no matter if he was right or wrong, but that wasn’t Sarah Jay. She would do anything for Errol except lie to make him feel better, because she’d seen and heard all the lies Mama told Oswald to keep him happy. Never made things better in the long run. Only worse, because when those happy lies didn’t come true, he blamed it all on Mama. “Bramble elk travel in herds,” Sarah Jay began, and Errol flinched like he’d been hit. It broke her heart to see it, but some things needed to be said, so she pushed on with her explanation. “Rare to see one running alone. Being chased by hunters could do it, but there’s no way those nags they rode could’ve kept up with one in the brush. We also didn’t hear any Aetherarms fire to explain why it was spooked, which we would’ve even if their guns were Silenced.”

There was also the fact that most honest men weren’t willing to get shot over a haunch of meat during spring. There was food aplenty to be foraged in these forests, but she left that unsaid as she couldn’t bear to see her man break. Errol heard the ring of truth in her words, even though he didn’t want to, and she reached out to cup his cheeks. “Hey,” she said, her words as soft as could be and unfamiliar to her own ears. “It ain’t the end of the world. You made a mistake. You trusted them at their word and wanted to help, because you’re a good man with a kind heart, but you can’t trust no one out here, no one outside your crew. You and me, and yes, Howie too. He killed those men, but he did it to save both our worthless hides.” Giving him a sad little smile, Sarah Jay just about broke down and cried, “I fucked up too. Froze up and watched while he got shot, so you ain’t alone up there on his shit list.”

“Oh God.” Wrapping his big arms around her in a crushing hug, Errol held her close and tight. He knew about her mama and what happened to her daddy, and he knew her greatest fear had just come to pass. “Don’t call yourself worthless babe,” he said, his own pain forgotten as he helped her through hers, and she cried into his chest wishing he felt safe enough to cry along with her too. That was the way with men though, valuing pride and machismo above all else. “You mean the world to me. We’ll get through this together, you and me.”

That they would, but she was more worried about their job prospects than anything else, because disappointing as their gobbo haul might be, she still needed to earn big. That’s why she jumped when Howie cleared his throat to let them know he was there, though she didn’t let go of her man. “Sent word over the radio about what went down,” Howie said, dressed in a clean shirt as he held out the reins to their horses. Fifi for Sarah Jay, and one of the outlaw’s nags for Errol, a skittish beast more feral than any horse she’d ever seen. Maybe it was a message, or maybe Howie just didn’t want to waste time saddling another horse, but either way, Sarah Jay didn’t like it. “There’s a Ranger patrol about two hours ahead that’s gonna turn around to meet us, so it’s best we get gone.”

Sarah Jay was about to ask why, when she pieced it together herself. Because the gunfire might draw more outlaws towards them, eager opportunists in search of wounded prey.

That got her moving right quick, but once they were mounted and ready, Howie stood there in front of his driver’s seat and looked Errol in the eye for a long half minute. Wasn’t an angry or sour gaze, but a hesitant one, which was new, a doubtful expression that didn’t suit the cocky, confident Firstborn at all. After a long, quiet pause, Howie sighed and pulled out a Squire from behind his back. Errol’s Squire, which he handed back butt first. “It’s unloaded,” he said, instead of apologizing, and he made no move to return the Blastgun or hand Sarah Jay the carbine. Then, as if everything was all smoothed over, he looked away and continued, “Got something else to say before we head out. Figure we ought to clear the air and set some things straight.” Taking a deep breath, he cracked his neck before looking them both in the eyes, without a hint of his usual smile. “What just happened was messy, no two ways about it, but you ain’t to blame. I am.”

That was surprising, but Sarah Jay didn’t dare glance at Errol to see his reaction. Instead, she watched Howie purse his lips and sulk, for lack of a better description. “I knew you both weren’t ready. Even said as much before we left, but I brought you out anyways because I was too… well, irrational, foolhardy, and reckless. Should have faced facts and left you both behind. Taken more time to put you through your paces and paint a clearer picture of what you getting into.” Howie was full on rambling now as he often did, his words rushing out one after the other. “Shouldn’t have expected you both to just know what was happening either, because these sorts of schemes are meant to be disarming, so it shouldn’t come as no surprise when you take the bait, hook, line, and sinker.”

“I don’t get it though,” Errol said, and Sarah Jay resisted the urge to wince. “If they were all ready and waiting for us, why didn’t they just shoot us from cover?”

“Because they a bunch of half-assed lawbreakers who can’t commit to the bit,” Howie replied, his sneer showing exactly how little respect he had for the dead outlaws. “They flaunt the Accords with blatant disregard, but still want all the protections those same laws afford them, so they find ways to break the laws that won’t get them jammed up. Bet you dollars to donuts Sheriff Glover will recognize these troublemakers on sight if not by name, as there’s a good chance they live nearby. That’s why they didn’t ride in heavy or open up from the trees, because if one of us gets away, then lawmen are gonna come asking questions. Then it’s only a matter of time before one of them would-be outlaws turns on the others for an offer of leniency. Don’t matter what you’ve heard; ain’t no honour among thieves.” Shrugging, Howie gestured at Errol’s chest and continued, “Could’ve also seen your armoured plate carriers and figured I’d have one too, and they weren’t confident enough to bank on hitting all three of us in the head while we was on the move. I wouldn’t be either, not after seeing the garbage Aetherarms they was packing, all junk barely even worth scrapping for parts. That’s why they tried to get two of their people in close, to make sure they got the job done right. Even if you didn’t shoot the elk, they’d have rode right into us, then blamed us for letting their quarry get away. Arguments get made, tempers flare, and then all they gotta do is say we drew first and wah-la, murder and banditry disguised as justified self-defence.”

“It can’t be that easy,” Errol said, and bless his heart, the look Howie gave him was a tender one, something you’d give a baby bird that’d fallen out its nest, but her man was too wrapped up in his own head to notice. “Say it works. They kill us all, take our stuff, then if anyone asks, they just say we shot first, and no one thinks twice about it?”

“Course people will know something’s hinky,” Howie replied, with another carefree shrug. “Especially if they’ve done it before, but chances are, they was planning on leaving one of their own behind to better sell the story. Probably the nervous red. Other guy was too eager to be the patsy. Or maybe they figured us for easy marks, young and hot-blooded, but not so quick to kill. Could’ve planned on goading us into actually drawing first and giving them the legal right to kill us in justified self-defence, though far as I can tell, none of ‘em got a recording device.” What Howie left unsaid was what they would’ve done if Errol went through with his offer to split the elk, but Sarah Jay could hazard a guess. Make friends, get to know them, then get some clean and easy kills once their guard was down. Errol’s naivete had played right into their hands, and Sarah Jay shuddered to think how many other good folks had succumbed to those same tricks.

Maybe Howie wasn’t exaggerating about the dangers of the Frontier. If anything, now it seemed like he was understating it…

“That’s neither here nor there though,” Howie said, waving aside any more questions. “The important thing is that I was wrong to go off on you like that Errol. Shouldn’t have laid hands on you or thrown their deaths in your face. Ain’t the right way to go about teachin’. As for freezing up, don’t you worry about it Jay, because shooting Abby is one thing, but shooting people a whole different kettle of fish.” Seeing her doubt, Howie rolled his eyes and explained, “Told you to go weapons ready, but never said to go weapons free, now did I? Didn’t expect it of you, though it would’ve been nice if either of you had enough sense to take cover.” Sarah Jay’s cheeks flushed, and Errol shifted in his seat as Howie’s joke feel flat, assuming it was one. Taking a deep breath, he fixed his gaze on Errol, and for a moment, it went dark and angry before he got his temper back under control. “So like I said, this failure today was on me, in more ways than one. Errol, I apologize for what I did and said, and if you want to call it quits, I’ll understand and make sure you both get back to New Hope safe and sound.”

Though she knew her man wasn’t one to quit over a little scuffle like that, she also knew he wasn’t exactly in the best state of mind either. Whatever decision he made though, she would stand by him for better or for worse. Thankfully, he didn’t hesitate to shake his head and reply, “Won’t quit so easily, but won’t forget so quick either. I made plenty of my own mistakes though, so long as we both set on making sure it don’t happen again, then I say we keep going.”

As Errol extended a hand to slap palms, the boys ran into a spot of trouble when Howie went in for a shake, and they spent an awkward few seconds going back and forth for a bit. Eventually, they settled on a fist bump, and Howie continued, “Great. Now, things are gonna be different moving forward. I been going about this all wrong, trying to be your friend when instead I should be teaching you good and proper. What that means from here on out is that if you want to learn, then you best act like proper boots. This ain’t a partnership yet, which means I call the shots. I say go, you move. I say stop, you don’t even blink. I say jump, you don’t stop to ask nothing, you just jump as best you can before checking in to see if it was good enough.” Spreading his hands in a ‘take it or leave it’ gesture, Howie added, “If you can’t do that, then the next time the Bolts start flying, I ain’t gonna risk my neck or Cowie’s hide to save you. Understood?”

Holding Howie’s gaze for a long second, Errol huffed and looked away with a petulant pout, one that didn’t suit his fetching features one bit. “Understood,” he replied, all too easily, and Sarah Jay knew he didn’t mean it. Wasn’t that he was lying, or that he intended to disobey, but he wasn’t taking this as serious as he should. He knew he made mistakes, but in his mind, good intentions counted for too much, which made him feel justified even though he was in the wrong. He might well make the same mistake again if he thought himself in the right, as Errol was a man who preferred doing things his way, which meant trying it out every which way until he found one he liked. That stubborn, independent streak was a part of his charm, albeit an infuriating part at this very moment, and Howie wasn’t amused neither. The Firstborn didn’t press the issue though, because he said what he said and he meant it too. If Errol got himself in another pinch ignoring orders, Howie wouldn’t hang him out to dry, but he wouldn’t risk nothing to save him either.

And likely wouldn’t lose sleep over his death either. Cold as ice, the Firstborn was, but that’s how he had to be…

Hardly the most promising start to their new crew, with the first cracks starting to show in their fragile little arrangement, but Sarah Jay wouldn’t let this ship sink without a fight. Ten percent of $18.90 wasn’t much, but they were getting paid monthly, which was more than what they would’ve made back in Basic. She needed this job to work out, because the future of her family counted on it, a future that didn’t involve Oswald. She needed enough scratch to rent her own place and get Mama, Mary Ann, and little Jimmy away from that mean, lecherous drunk right quick. Didn’t matter how many times he smacked them around or got caught leering at her daughters, Mama was just too scared to leave the man and strike out on her own, so Sarah Jay had to step up and show Mama that she didn’t need no man. Wasn’t simple or easy, but it’s what she was fixing to do, and the Firstborn had the means to make it happen.

Assuming he still wanted to keep them on that is. Though friendly enough most of the time, Howie had a real temper on him, and it was clear he didn’t forgive or forget all too easily either. It wasn’t their failures that irked him so, but Errol’s repeated refusal to heed his calls or even think about why he made them. Made Howie feel disrespected, as he well ought to, but Errol didn’t mean nothing by it, not really, so Sarah Jay would just have to make sure they learned to get along. The somber mood didn’t help none as they rode along the Highway in complete silence, as every time Sarah Jay looked back thinking to start a conversation, Howie’s grim and alert gaze made her think twice. Gone was the laid-back posture and nonchalant attitude, and in its place was a man spoiling for another fight, scanning the trees from left to right and back again in search of a threat. No, not a threat, but a target, something to shoot and kill because he wasn’t in no mood to talk.

Now there was a man who looked deserving of the Firstborn’s reputation. Maybe Howie ought to smile less and show off his darker side more often. Would get in far fewer scuffles if he did, at least. It wasn’t a menacing look, and certainly not friendly, but a scowl suited his features in a way that his smile never would. It was kinda sad really, because underneath it all, he was a sweet and caring soul, one every bit as kind and generous as Errol, except Howie knew the Frontier didn’t treat kind folk gently.

“Company approaching,” Howie said, and Sarah Jay looked sharp. Took a bit of squinting, but she could barely make out a few riders heading towards them, riding down the middle of the highway at a nice, easy canter. Rangers then, since that lane was reserved for the military, and she marvelled at how sharp Howie’s eyes were. Maybe he had an Eagle Eye Spell going, one he kept up to familiarize himself with the Structure, and she suddenly had a thought. If he kept the Eagle Eye Spell up to practice during his travelling hours, then what about his Mage Hands? Playing Cat’s Cradle was obviously to improve his dexterity, but now that she thought about it, the Cantrip was only supposed to last ten minutes or so, except Howie kept his Mage Hands for much longer. At least a half hour, as he used them to help him cook and she never saw him recast the Cantrip while doing so, and she made a note to watch him the next time she saw him cast it to track how long it lasted.

How many other ways was Howie practicing right in plain sight? The man was both brilliant and hardworking, which made catching up all that harder, but Sarah Jay was game to try.

After a few seconds, Howie confirmed Sarah Jay’s guess about the Eagle Spell. “Rangers,” he said, even though they was still but blobs in the distance. “Familiar ones, so you can both relax. Not too much mind you, as there ain’t no thing as guaranteed safety round these parts, but enough so you don’t shoot someone you ain’t supposed to.”

His joke fell flat again, as it hit too close to home, and Sarah Jay winced as she saw the set of Errol’s jaw. Man was beside himself with guilt and self-recrimination after what went down this afternoon, and Howie’s needling hit hard, so Sarah Jay moved Fifi a little closer to the nag to offer a bit of moral support. She didn’t go so far as to reach her hand out, because she was supposed to be pretending to be a man, but Errol saw the gesture for what it was and gave her a beautiful and all-too-brief smile in thanks.

Didn’t take long for the Rangers to ride up to them, at which point one broke off and turned about to fall in line alongside. “Howie,” the lead rider said, giving the Firstborn a little nod while his friends continued off in the same direction with little more than a wave. The Ranger was a black man on the younger side of the scale, maybe early forties at most seeing how he looked thirty. A slim but fit fella with a head full of short, natural curls, he didn’t have the larger-than-life presence so many Rangers exuded. Seemed more like a sleepy rancher out for a ride, his small eyes half-lidded and body swaying from side to side as he rode. Wasn’t even dressed in uniform, but blue jeans and red flannel, unbuttoned and untucked, with a white tee underneath, and no hat to speak of beneath the harsh red sun. The only thing that set him apart from any other traveller on the road was the brass Ranger star pinned to his chest, that and the silver semi-automatic 1911 pistol he wore on his belt. Had a carbine in his saddle holster too, and a leather case slung over his shoulder, but what it held was a mystery for now.

Odd that Howie didn’t return the greeting, with not even so much as a grunt, and Sarah Jay looked sharp, since he wasn’t one to be rude for nothing. The Ranger didn’t pay it no mind though, his tired expression lighting up as his lips broke out into a smile for Errol, a soft but friendly that made you want to smile back. “Hey now. When’d you start riding with a brother? Name’s Wayne,” he said, his voice soft as his smile as he stuck his left hand out, but not for a shake. “Lieutenant Wayne Marlon. Philly Ranger.”

“Errol Dillard,” Errol replied, casually slapping palms with the older man like they’d had this exchange a thousand times before.

“Jay Kowalski,” she said when Wayne’s gaze fell upon her, and judging from his smirk, he wasn’t fooled by her hat and bulky jacket. His eyes didn’t linger long though, lacking the hunger she saw in so many men’s eyes, like Oswald. All the more reason to get her family away from him, and she was desperate to do it quick, because Mary Ann was fourteen now and round about the age when Sarah Jay first noticed Oswald’s lecherous gaze. No, unlike Oswald, Wayne was more interested in the bodies stacked on the roof of Howie’s wagon, which he looked at askew with an uncertain gaze. “So,” he began, his smile gone but tone still friendly. “See you found some trouble.”

Howie didn’t answer, not verbally at least, but when Wayne’s attention went back to Errol, and Sarah Jay winced as he answered like a man compelled. “They had guns,” he said, sounding like a fool, but at least he was standing on Howie’s side since murder was punishable by hanging. “The two who stopped us on the road. Had pistols. Rifles too. Three more in the woods ready to shoot us.”

Then Errol clammed up and looked nervous, which really wasn’t the way to go about it, but Wayne didn’t seem to mind. “Easy there,” he said, smiling as he gestured for them to relax. “Only got five points on my star, so save it for the Sheriff.” That seemed to make Errol sweat even more, and Sarah Jay didn’t understand why, as most lawmen were reasonable sorts, else they didn’t hold office for long. Wayne even said as much, adding, “Sherrif Glover’s a fair man, so nothing for you to worry about brother, as long as it was a justified shooting.” Leaning in with narrowed eyes and a sly smile, he fake whispered, “It was right? Justified? Because if it wasn’t, then someone’s gonna swing for this, and Howie’s got the connections to make sure it ain’t him.”

“Lay off, Wayne.” Howie didn’t sound defensive, or even all that animated, like he was bored and tired of it all. “Quit trying to scare him. Was his first gunfight.”

“Oh shit.” Wayne’s smile was gone now, replaced by genuine concern, and Sarah Jay’s heart surged to see it. Finally, someone to help Errol out of his funk, because she didn’t know what to do and Howie didn’t seem to care much. “I’m sorry man,” Wayne said, reaching over to place a hand on Errol’s shoulder. “I didn’t know. Thought Howie wouldn’t ride out with someone so green, and figured I’d mess with you a bit. How you holding up?”

“I’m good.”

The other man saw the lie for what it was, but he simply nodded along as if it were fact, and that was that. So taken aback by the dismissive attitude, she didn’t say much when Wayne asked her the same, just shrugged a bit which was enough for him. Turning to Howie with a scowl, the Ranger said, “What you doing man? You trying to get these kids killed? You don’t bring two rookies out solo, not with your track record. Five more bodies puts you for double digits this year, and it’s not even in April.”

“What can I say,” Howie replied, and Sarah Jay heard a trace of smug challenge in the answer. “Business is booming, and I could use the extra hands. This trip is looking like a loss though. Had to put down a good horse, so unless these five got American warrants, I’m in the hole big.”

“Don’t change the subject Howie.” Sounding off like he’d said all this before, Wayne continued, “Lot of people travel the Highway, so how come your numbers are so much higher than everyone else’s? It ever occur to you that you might be the problem?”

Wasn’t fair for the Ranger to go in on Howie like that, without having heard word one of the details, but Howie didn’t bat an eye. “If I am the problem,” he drawled, leaning back to point down at his sidearm without letting his hand get near, “Then it’s a good thing I got the solution right here.”

Sarah Jay shivered to hear how calm and casual he said it, like he was talking about hammering in some nails or putting grease on an axle. Wayne didn’t like that much though, not one bit. “You know not all crimes carry a death sentence, right?” He asked sounding self-righteous as can be. “Armed robbery with a deadly weapon for example, that’s ten years minimum with a forty-year maximum, if no one is hurt or killed in the process. Murder though, that’s life imprisonment or death, one or the other, and I can’t say which I’d prefer.”

“Well luckily, I was injured,” Howie replied, flashing teeth in a grin that never reached his eyes while showing off the damage to his duster. A tear about a half finger long, still bloody to boot. “So the punishment fits the crime.”

“You know that’s not what I mean Howie.” Though Wayne tried for patience, he sounded patronizing to Sarah Jay’s ears. “You’ve been running into a lot of trouble lately, and most times, someone ends up dead. You’ve been careful so far, but all it takes is one bad call to jam you up Howie, and then it’s prison or the noose for you.”

Now, Howie could’ve doubled down on the facts and told the sanctimonious Ranger that he could’ve ended things without bloodshed if not for Errol’s mistake, but he didn’t, and Sarah Jay’s heart warmed to see it. Instead, he sucked his teeth and said, “They were clean kills Wayne. I fired off a warning shot, ordered them to turn back, gave verbal notice of intent to shoot, and even read off the relevant bits of the Accords. Got it all on crystal too. Wasn’t my fault they didn’t take me serious, so I shot the first two when they made to draw. Gave the ones in the trees a chance to leave, but they didn’t take it. These deaths? They ain’t on me. It’s on them. I pulled the trigger, but they was asking for it.”

They rode in silence for almost a full minute before Wayne replied, but not before he studied all three of their faces. “Okay,” he said. “If you say it was a clean shoot, then I believe it. Just checking is all.” Flashing his easy smile again, Wayne asked, “If I leave you to go catch up with my boys, you aren’t gonna run off into the Coral Desert again, are you?”

“Wasn’t funny the first time, and ain’t funny now, Wayne.” There was an edge to Howie’s voice, nowhere near as frosty as when he warned off Caleb and Adie, but not far off either. “I had nothing to do with that dead merchant, and we gonna have more than just words if you keep implyin’ I did.”

“Oh c’mon Howie, just poking a little fun.” Despite the lighthearted delivery, Sarah Jay picked up on Wayne’s real intentions then and there. He wasn’t looking out for Howie. He was suspicious of him, which cast their whole conversation in a whole different light, one she went over in her head real quick. “Besides, you gotta admit,” Wayne drawled, acting all coy and making Sarah Jay’s stomach turn, “It does seem mighty suspicious. A merchant is killed along the highway, leaving no body, but enough blood to know he didn’t survive. His three townie guards then disappear into the desert, leaving only a campsite wiped clean of all traces. Professional work it was, like something your daddy would’ve done to hide from Abby. Now, those townie guards? They would’ve needed someone like him to guide them through the desert at night. Wouldn’t you know it, you were sighted in the area that day, and not only that, you also went into the desert that same night to hunt Abby. Awfully coincidental, especially considering you were travelling along the highway for most of the day and didn’t turn east until late afternoon, early evening.”

It certainly sounded awful coincidental, and it took every ounce of self-control Sarah Jay had to keep from turning to look at Howie. Errol did though, his eyes wide and mouth agape with so much suspicion it wasted all her efforts, and she could almost imagine Howie fuming from indignation. Could hear Cowie’s displeasure too, the big bull grumbling up a thunderstorm behind her and no doubt glaring daggers at Wayne, leading her to wonder just how much English the animal actually understood. Risking a backwards glance, she saw plenty of intelligence lurking behind Cowie’s storm grey eyes, so expressive and human-like that he could almost see the warning written within, one telling Wayne to shut his mouth or Cowie would shut it for him.

Wayne didn’t seem to notice though, and he kept talking. “Look, maybe you didn’t know the guards had just killed a man. Maybe they were running, then saw you and knew your rep as a scout. Maybe they offered you payment to get them to the mountains, or a secluded little town in the desert, and you went along with it, because why not? Wasn’t until after the fact that you learned you helped a bunch of murderers, and if so, that’s no big deal. There isn’t a judge around that would charge you as an accessory after the fact, assuming you came forward of course.”

“Lovely little story you’ve put together there Wayne,” Howie replied, giving the man the best side-eye Sarah Jay had ever seen. “Problem is, it’s all fiction, heavy on the imagination and light on facts. Reason I kept to the highway most of that day is because I wasn’t planning on hunting Abby, not until I crossed paths with a beat-up desert caravan who’d run afoul of the desert’s infamous hobgoblin Illusionist. Was the first time anyone had heard of it, so I was rarin’ to bag it for myself. No guarantee it’d have a decent Spell Core, but I figured I’d roll the dice and give it a shot, seeing how I’d gotten the news at least a day ahead of anyone else. Rode right into the desert that night looking for tracks, but gave up after a day when more mercs showed up. Since I was already out there, I figured I’d try my luck in the badlands instead, and pay my respects to my parents while I was at it. Arrived home in New Hope maybe a week off schedule, with a load of Abby corpses and Cores, which I sold off for a pretty penny.” Meeting Wayne’s eyes head on, Howie added, “All of which I told Sherrif Patel way back when, who confirmed all the details and passed them along to Sherrif Glover.” Putting on a smile that never reached his eyes, Howie concluded, “You’d have known all this if you had a sixth point on that badge there, but I keep looking, and keep counting five. Makes a man wonder what your interest in all this is, though thus far, I been content to wonder quietly.”

“Just curious is all,” Wayne replied, and there was a glint in his eye that made him look decidedly unfriendly despite his easy smile and relaxed posture. Sleepy rancher? No, this was a wolf in sheep’s clothing, and the realization sent a shiver down Sarah Jay’s spine. “We gonna have a problem?”

“You got something to say, then you come at me head on,” Howie replied, an answer that wasn’t really an answer. “Don’t go dancing around the subject like...” Howie paused and smacked his lips, like he was trying to think of a comparison, while Wayne’s eyes went dark and hard, which told her there was a story there. “Like you cutting an Irish jig,” Howie concluded, only for his customary, toothy smile to come back in full force as he shook his head with a chuckle.

Something passed between these two men, something Sarah Jay couldn’t grasp, but Wayne simply pursed his lips and nodded, his soft smiles gone and forgotten as he cast his gaze over all three of their faces. “Alright Howie,” he said, bringing his horse around in a wide turn. “Don’t go skipping town again though. You’re good, I’ll give you that, but not good enough to escape justice. Frontier’s not as big as it used to be, and it’ll only get smaller as time goes on.”

And that was that. Wayne headed south to follow his fellow Rangers, leaving them to continue their trip in awkward silence. Trading a glance with Errol, she pursed her lips and frowned at his questioning gaze, a handsome look spoiled by the current circumstances. It was one thing for Howie to kill outlaws who’d come gunning for them, but that was an American Ranger levelling accusations at him, and she wasn’t sure how to feel. Especially since a big reason why she was so eager to sign on was his contacts in the Rangers, which she thought meant he’d have access to jobs and information most civilians would never see. While Howie had plenty of pull in New Hope, it seemed like his influence didn’t reach as far as she thought it would, and maybe all that bad blood regarding how they treated his daddy wasn’t the only thing keeping him from signing on with the Rangers.

“Well?”

It was almost a half hour later when Howie finally broke the silence, and when Sarah Jay turned to see what he was on about, she found a wry smile etched across his smug face. “…Well what?” she asked, unsure what Howie was getting at.

“You ain’t gonna ask?” Pumping his eyebrows twice, he added, “You know. If I dunnit like Wayne said.”

Smart man that he was, Errol looked to her before opening his mouth, and she gave him a look that said to keep his mouth shut. “Nope,” she replied, confident that if the Rangers had any real proof, they would’ve charged Howie with a crime.

That got a belly laugh outta him, and a genuine smile too. “Much as I appreciate the vote of confidence,” Howie began, shaking his head as he did, “That might well be the dumbest thing I’ve seen either of you do, and Errol almost shot his own damn foot off today.”

Howie wasn’t making it easy to like him at the moment, but again, it wasn’t like it wasn’t true. Hoping to keep Errol from saying anything dumb, she asked, “Would you even tell us the truth if we asked?”

“That ain’t the right question.” Grinning at them both, Howie leaned forward for another lesson. “The question you ought to ask is if those are the sort of jobs I’d take, guiding strangers across the desert in the dead of night. And the answer would be no. I ain’t no kai-yote, you hear?” Surmising that they didn’t from their blank stares, Howie explained, “A kai-yote is a colloquial term for someone who smuggles people across borders, usually outlaws looking to get away from law enforcement. I don’t do that, because one, it don’t pay well, and two, it ain’t worth the risk. Guiding outlaws through dangerous territory is a good way to get shot in the back once the job is done. Secret only stays secret if no one knows it. I don’t carry contraband neither, and I ain’t one to work with alcoholics or drug addicts, so you both best keep your noses clean. Skin too, because tattoos tend to send the wrong message. Also a great way to get infected for no good reason at all.”

In many ways, Howie was too much of an adult to be any real fun, always focused on work and nothing else. Before he could go off on tangent about gang and prison tats, she asked, “So then… Did you do it? Guide those guards through the desert like Wayne thought you did?”

Oddly enough, Howie almost looked pleased to hear her ask him point blank. “I did not,” he replied, and she believed him, but he wasn’t done talking. “Now, I’m gonna tell you both to never talk about what just transpired between me and Wayne, not where anyone can overhear.”

Now it was Errol’s turn to ask questions. “Why not?”

“Because,” Howie began, struggling to find the right way to explain it. “Well… Hmm. How do I put this gently?”

“Wayne’s into some shady business,” Sarah Jay said, and though Howie winced, he didn’t deny it. “Somethin’ to do with the murdered trader, and the guards who took whatever he was peddlin’. That’s what that last bit was about. He was warning Howie to keep his mouth shut.”

Looking like a kid who’d just found out Santa wasn’t real, Errol looked at her and said, “But Wayne’s an American Ranger.”

Unable to help herself, she broke eye contact with her man and looked to Howie instead, who shrugged and said, “Job don’t make him a saint. Crooked Rangers exist, same as crooked lawmen and judges, but I ain’t saying Wayne is crooked. I suspect as much, but could be wrong. Might just have friends that are, or maybe he got a personal connection to the trader which explains his interest, but if so, I doubt he’d be so circumspect about his suspicions. Nah, chances are he’s mixed up in somethin’ and now it got his small-hairs in a twist. My guess is smuggling contraband like weapons or drugs, or skimming Aberrtin, Cores, and crystallized Aether from Ranger operations and selling it on the black market. The murdered trader was probably moving Wayne’s product to be sold, and he ain’t none too pleased at being robbed, as he got a pressing need for cash. Least that’s my best guess.”

“Then why don’t you bring your suspicions to someone in charge?” Cleary Errol couldn’t wrap his mind around the existence of a criminal Ranger, because he grew up in a small community where most folks looked out for one another, but New Hope and Riverrun were too big for that tight-knit connection. “You know the Marshal for Heavens sake,” Errol said, his expression one of pure indignation and disbelief. “Can’t he do something about it?”

“And what would I tell him?” Howie asked, patient as can be. “That Wayne came by with a bunch of questions? Ain’t nothing illegal about that, and it’d take more than idle suspicion to open an investigation. Besides, I bet you dollars to donuts Captain Marcus already knows if Wayne is crooked, but it’s tolerated so long as he don’t step too far out of bounds. Good men are in short supply, and the Rangers are especially short on hands, so sometimes, the higher ups gotta look the other way when it comes to minor malfeasance, especially if no one getting hurt.” Howie shrugged again, though his pursed lips and furrowed brow showed he clearly didn’t like the idea any more than Errol did. “That’s the nature of power though. It corrupts.”

Sarah Jay had nothing to add as she watched her man slump down in his saddle, and she wished there was something she could do for him. Today was a one-two punch of hard truths, first a betrayal from a stranger and then another from a Ranger, someone who was supposed to look out for the people of the Frontier. That’s why Errol signed on after all, to protect folks from Abby and outlaws, so learning the Rangers tolerated their crooked brothers and sisters was a rude awakening indeed. That’s just the nature of the beast though, part and parcel of any large organization really, so all she could do was reach out and knuckle his shoulder, while counting down the minutes until they reached Meadowbrook and found a nice, quiet room to hole up in.

It would do them all some good to spend some time apart after more than a week of roughing it out, and come tomorrow, their wounded pride will have mended and tempers cooled, making the task of patching up this fractured friendship that much easier for Sarah Jay. Though Howie went on and on about the dangers for women riding out in the wild Frontier, he would never make it out here with a group of men. He was too stubborn and prideful to ever bend, and too strong to break, so he’d end up alone without someone to help him bridge the gaps of his social failings, and Sarah Jay would show him that she was the perfect woman for the job.